Moments & Memories (6 of 8): Meeting Street SchoolAs graduates this month of CMW's Fellowship Program, Rachel and Arlyn were asked to provide several memorable —- On a school visit, there isn’t often the chance to get to know the school environment on more than a very basic level. Before the CMW Fellows’ two-day residency at the Meeting Street School began last year however, we had the chance to tour the school, meet some of the teachers, and sit in on music classes with students of differing ages and abilities. It was a great window into the many ways students, many of whom face severe disabilities, engage with music. We bounced ideas for our Animal Program off of the music teacher and librarian, and they collaborated with us to involve puppets and scarves into our interactive presentations.
This year, Arlyn and I returned with Adrienne and Jason and once again, we were able to work closely with Wendy, the school’s librarian. In one part of the program, we played a section of a string quartet by Borodin, and she began by asking students whether that sounded more like the Dragon puppet or the Little Girl puppet. With more music and puppets, we soon had an elaborate story about the dragon who scared the girl, who ran away, but then realized he wanted to be friends, so they danced away together on a boat! All thanks to Alexander Borodin, Wendy, and the students at the Meeting Street School. -Rachel Panitch, Fellow (07-09) |
